Uladzimir Labkovich: Authorities should use law “On Amnesty” for release of political prisoners

Belarusian human rights activists are sure that according to the law “On Amnesty”, young activists convicted in the Process of Fourteen for participation in a protest rally of entrepreneurs.

“We, human rights activists, undoubtedly demand from the regime to stop the criminal prosecution of the activists convicted in the Process of Fourteen. One of the variants acceptable for the regime could be a law “On Amnesty”, and the young activists could be included in this amnesty, and released from punishment. Formally everything depends on the wording in the law. If it is stated in the law that amnesty is impossible for persons against which disciplinary penalties for violating the rules of serving the sentence had been issued, the amnesty won’t include participants of the Process of Fourteen. The authorities would demonstrate by this that they do not have a desire to quash еру sentence against the young oppositionists,” a well-known human rights activist Uladzimir Labkovich stated.

According to the human rights activist, application of the law “On Amnesty” is to become a indication of how the authorities really want to carry out the so-called “liberalization”.

“Undoubtedly, participants of the Process of Fourteen are political prisoners, and the international community should pay attention to that. If the authorities have a good will, and they will listen to the demands of the Belarusian and international community, they are to use the mechanism of the law “On Amnesty” to release oppositionists. If the so-called “liberalization” is just empty phrases, the regime won’t solve the problem of existence of political prisoners in the country,” Uladzimir Labkovich said.

As we have informed, on April 15 the “house of representatives” of Belarus passed a bill on amnesty on the occasion of the 65th anniversary of the liberation of Belarus from the Fascist invaders. The law had been proposed by Alyaksandr Lukashenka.

On March 14 a protest rally with a demand to amnesty political prisoners was disbanded in front of the House of Government in Minsk. Activists of “European Belarus” were standing on Independence Square holding a streamer “Amnesty to participants of Process of Fourteen!” In a few minutes guards of the House of Government called up policemen, and oppositionists were taken to the police department of Maskouski district of Minsk.

As we have informed, the Process of Fourteen is a criminal case under article 342 of the Criminal Code of Belarus, instigated against participants of a peaceful protest demonstration of entrepreneurs held on January 10, 2008.

For participation in this protest a young activist Andrei Kim was sentenced to a year and a half in a penal colony (he was released in August 2008). An activist of the civil campaign “European Belarus” Alyaksandr Barazenka was sentenced to 1 year of restriction of liberty without sending him to a penal colony. He was kept in remand jail from October 27 to December 9, 2008. Other participants of the Process of Fourteen – Alyaksei Bondar, Artsyom Dubski, Mikhal Kryvau, Mikhal Pashkevich, Ales Straltsou, Ales Charnyshou, Tatsyana Tsishkevich, Mikhail Subach and Paval Vinahradau, were sentenced to 2 years of restriction of freedom without sending them to penitentiary institutions. Minor Maxim Dashuk got 1.5 years of restraint of liberty.

It should be noted that Artsyom Dubski is kept under arrest for a few months for alleged violation of the rules of serving the sentence.